The ABC’s of Braille

by Carol Castellano

Carol Castellano uses a
flip-chart and flash cards to co-teach the Braille workshop for parents with Patricia Maurer. Castellano is President of the Parents of Blind Children, a division of the NFB of New Jersey, and Maurer is the Community Relations Director at the national headquarters of the NFB.

Susan Swift of New York beams with delight as
she completes her first lesson with the slate and stylus.

Participants in the ABCs of Braille workshop at the NOPBC 2005
Seminar found out that Braille is important, useful, simple, and fun! After
Patricia Maurer and special drop-in visitor Dr. Marc Maurer explained the many
ways they use Braille in their lives, Mrs. Maurer demonstrated Braille-reading
technique. Then we got down to learning about the Braille cell, contractions,
numbers, and punctuation.

Participants enjoyed doing several worksheets and were surprised
to discover that they could easily read simple words in Braille. Before long
they were writing letters with their slates and styli and learning how to make
print-Braille flashcards. They seemed to appreciate going home with their slates,
an embossed alphabet card, a Braille “cheat sheet,” and lots of resource information.